The explanation behind the U-turn on Frenkie de Jong’s Barcelona future

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong looks set to stay at the club for at least a few more years, when just six months ago, it looked as if his exit was all but certain. The Dutch midfielder has clearly improved his contributions on the pitch, but Barcelona’s change of heart comes down to more than that, as per the latest in Catalonia.

De Jong has become a regular starter under Hansi Flick, and previous reports have claimed the German has asked the club to hang onto the 27-year-old, foreseeing his potential within his midfield. Certainly there is no underestimating the impact that Flick has had on de Jong’s future, both on and off the pitch.

According to Sport, Barcelona did not have any doubt about his quality, but their primary issue was his salary and the cost of keeping. However now with de Jong seeing improvements in the club off the pitch, and instructing his agent to find a deal with the club, they do not expect anything other than an agreement. Contact between Deco and Ali Dursun is ‘fluid’, and the fact that de Jong is willing to make an effort financially to stay has been fundamental in the change of stance from the Director of Football.

There will be no excessive celebrations if Barcelona beat Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final, only a dinner at the hotel in Sevilla. Hansi Flick doesn’t want distractions ahead of the other key games coming up. @RogerTorello

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 18, 2025

They go on to say that Barcelona believe that de Jong is important to the style of the team too, but his change of stance off the pitch has been just as key as his improvement on it in changing the course of his future.

This is certainly a departure from the previous discourse surrounding de Jong. The financial impact of his salary was always cited as a part of the equation, but before his return from his ankle injury, there was plenty of reporting noting that de Jong’s inability to impose himself consistently on games was just as much as a motive to move on from the Dutchman.